- Title: Bunol residents prepare for the annual Tomatina tomato fight
- Date: 27th August 2019
- Summary: BUNOL, SPAIN (AUGUST 27, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF BUNOL RESIDENT EDMUNDO ESCOBAR AND COLLEAGUE PREPARING SHOP BY COVERING EXTERIOR WITH BLACK PLASTIC SHEETS ESCOBAR'S COLLEAGUE TAPING DOWN COVERS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BUNOL RESIDENT, EDMUNDO ESCOBAR, SAYING: "As for us, the people of Bunol, we don't all participate in the celebrations in a direct way. But indirectly we are all involved. It's true that it makes us proud as people of Bunol that our town is famous worldwide thanks to this festival. For example, I haven't directly taken part for many years but it's still really fun to watch the festival from a window or from a rooftop terrace, as I usually do." MAN CARRYING STEEL BARRIER WORKER LUIS RUBIO CARRYING STEEL BARRIER (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) WORKER, LUIS RUBIO, SAYING: "Well we're doing the set-up for the whole town and laying out the barriers in the points allocated according to the security plan we have here (because it's) the Tomatina tomorrow and because they're going to close the plaza here tonight." VARIOUS OF WORKER CHECKING SHEET COVER BUILDING FACADE IS IN PLACE WORKER ON BALCONY FASTENING PLASTIC SHEET CHILDREN WAVING FROM BEHIND PLASTIC SHEETS SHOPKEEPER PEPE CARASCOSA AND BROTHER DRILLING PLYWOOD INTO PLACE OVER WINDOW (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SHOPKEEPER, PEPE CARASCOSA, SAYING: "The tomatoes really stain the walls. It's easy to clean if you clean it quickly and with a hose. So everything such as windows and doors etc. - prepare the drill for me (he says to his friend) - we set up protection so that it's less work to clean." VARIOUS OF WORKER JOSE PENELLA AND COLLEAGUE IN TRUCK DECIDING HOW TO PUT UP BANNER PENELLA AND COLLEAGUE PUTTING UP BANNER PENELLA AND COLLEAGUE PUTTING UP BANNER, TRUCK (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) WORKER, JOSE PENELLA, SAYING: "Well, here is where the trucks will unload and so there'll be eight banners put up and the trucks come here and unload. And so to mark out the points (for trucks to stop and unload) we're putting up the banner. So that people know where to unload." STREET WITH BANNER COVERING SHOP PHARMACY WITH GREEN COVER BUNOL CIVIL PROTECTION VEHICLE STREET WITH SHOPS AND HOUSES BEARING PROTECTIVE COVERS
- Embargoed: 10th September 2019 17:42
- Keywords: La Tomatina food fight tomatoes Spain food fight festival Bunol
- Location: BUNOL, SPAIN
- City: BUNOL, SPAIN
- Country: Spain
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVA001ATZVCJR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The Spanish town of Bunol was busy with preparations for its annual tomato fight on Tuesday (August 27), the day before the world-famous Tomatina festival where thousands of revellers will hurl 145 tonnes of tomatoes at each other.
Residents and shopkeepers protected their buildings with plastic sheets, with some even going as far as to drill wooden panels into place to avoid tomato stains on their walls, windows and doors.
Edmundo Escobar, who plastered his building in black plastic sheets, said it was still fun to watch the festival, even though he hadn't thrown a tomato himself for many years.
Pepe Carascosa and his brother Alfredo said the red fruits were sure to stain the walls and so they needed to take extra precautions, hence the use of wooden panels.
Protective barriers were also set up, and banners were put into place so that trucks bringing the tomatoes into town would know where to stop and unload.
The 'Tomatina' fight originates from a spontaneous bust-up amongst villagers in 1945.
The event, banned for a time during the 1950s at the height of General Francisco Franco's dictatorship, has drawn a huge international following in recent years.
It attracts thousands of revellers from all parts of Spain and internationally.
(Production: Michael Gore, Guillermo Martinez, Jeevan Ravindran) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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